Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JulesCARV 04-09-07, 01:06 PM	I had an idea for mantles. I'm thinking it would be kind of neat if you could have mantles for aboleth cultists, couatl devotees, illithid thralls, etc. I'm not sure how these things would be balanced, though. I'm thinking that basically the mantle would grant powers equivalent to the psi-likes that the creatures get. For instance: Aboleth 1. Disable 1. Mindlink 2. Ego Whip 2. Id Insinuation 2. Mental Disruption 2. Thought Shield 3. False Sensory Input 4. Psionic Dominate 4. Psionic Modify Memory 4. Remove Viewing 4. Wall of Ectoplasm Couatl 1. Detect Psionics 2. Cloud Mind 2. Read Thoughts 2. Thought Shield 3. Mental Barrier 4. Aura Sight 5. Psionic Plane Shift (Don't have XPH on me at the moment, so I'll skip the Illithid mantle) I'm not really sure how these things would be balanced, though. The aboleth mantle, for instance, looks a bit frontloaded and crowded, with ten powers. Also, I'm not sure about granted powers. Thoughts?
InkBlot 04-09-07, 04:41 PM	So your ardent's philosophy is "aboleths are cool?" Ardents aren't clerics. Why not just use the existing mantles that cover philosophies related to abolthes, illithid, and couatl? Aboleth - Deception, evil, corruption and madness, knowledge, mental power, pain and suffering Illithid - Chaos, consumption, corruption and madness, evil, mental power, pain and suffering, time Couatl - creation, elements, energy, fate, freedom, good, life, light and darkness, natural world, the planes, repose. I don't know a whole lot about these creatures, so some of these mantles might be an ill fit.
awaken_D_M_golem 04-10-07, 07:29 PM	Interesting idea ... but mantles are "tricky". Aboleths get 3 feats, any of which could be the mantle power. Iron Will, though, is like Empty Mind power. Enslave (su) could be re-writen as a 9th (or less) level power. They get a bunch of psi-likes, that as powers in a mantle would be biased toward the top end. Slime (ex) is the equivalent to cause disease - limited. Mucus Cloud (ex) is a save-or-die, but with limited application. Swim, perhaps like AstCon movement. Rough { ... very rough ... } outline : Aboleth Mantle Mantle power - Alertness, just like the feat 1. Swim 1. Empty Mind 2. Slime 2. Hypnotic Pattern 3. Mucus Cloud 4. Illusory Wall 4. Dominate Person 5. Mirage Arcana 5. Persistant Image 6. Programmed Image 6. Veil 7. Project Image Verdict - still needs work, mp is weak, more powers than usual balances low top power, psi-magic conversion ... :rolleyes:
awaken_D_M_golem 04-16-07, 04:42 PM	Well DUH. The Aboleth is in the Srd in both magic and psionic forms. And what you posted is the Psi- list version. I ought to kick myself. Ok, my thoughts are : the Psi-list is too short in terms of power levels, and it's almost the same as the Mental mantle. Mindlink is a DivineMind aura power. hmm ... Aura : Swim 10ft or +10ft to all in aura Mantle : Alertness as the feat 1. Disable 1. Empty Mind 2. Hypnotic Pattern 2. Slime - this needs work 3. False Sensory Input 3. Mucus Cloud 4. Psi-Dominate { as opposed to Dominate Person } 4. Remote Viewing 5+ as per previous post Illusions up top, and weird stuff below. Doesn't seem out of balance at all. What do you think ?
Nifft 04-16-07, 06:01 PM	For Aboleths, I think the slime is their big defining feature. So I'd go with ectoplasmic stuff (entangling ectoplasm for sure, perhaps ectoplasmic cocoon and wall of ectoplasm). -- N
awaken_D_M_golem 04-18-07, 04:19 PM	Ok. One last go at this. DivineMind needs help. Mantles usually have 2 1st level powers. Some mantles have a hole with 2nd or 3rd level powers. Some mantles have 2 4th, 5th, or 6th level powers. Top power usually an 8th or 9th, but a few 7's, and rarely a 6. Aura : Water Breathing as the spell Mantle : Swim 10 ft or +10 ft per round 1. Disable 1. Empty Mind 2. Slime - as per the Aboleth's special ability 3. Mucus - as per the Aboleth's special ability 4. Remote Viewing 4. Wall of Ectoplasm ( ala Nifft's suggestion ) 5. Persistant Image 9. Enslave - as per the Aboleth's special ability Verdict : Aura quite powerful, but specific use ; PI just for DM ; focused and specialized ; some conversion still necessary.
AntiDjinn 04-18-07, 07:45 PM	Are you talking about a mantle for a standard PC ardent who feels that life, the universe, and everything can be understood in terms of its abolethness? Or are you trying to construct a mantle for aboleth ardents to use? A mantle called Mantle of the Aboleth should contain powers than an aboleth would find useful. Actually, aboleth ardents should be rare; they are not exactly passionate beings. They more or less know how the universe began and how it works. Every one of them is born with this racial memory and does not have to be taught anything. And they have little interest in espousing the philosophy of the race to others.
Rhonin the Big 04-18-07, 11:01 PM	this could work. We already have kobold & dragon domains for clerics so why not aboleth, couatl & Illithid domains for those who think aboleths, couatls & Illithids are the be-all end-all of their inner world?
awaken_D_M_golem 04-21-07, 03:31 PM	AntiDjinn - aha. JulesCARV's idea seemed to be : non-aboleths following the aboleth ideal. Aboleths following their own ideals, superior to everything else's ... hmm. LoM has the aboleth feat Deathless Frenzy, might work as Mantle power If an Aboleth thinks aboleths are the end all and be all, DF would be an adequate response to almost dying. Then there's the difference between the magic and the psionic versions. An Aboleth's mantle could combine the two. Hypercognition might be the best top power.